Music News

21 Sep 2023

Doja Cat Paints the Town ‘Scarlet’ With New Album: Stream It Now

After months of teasing and controversy, Doja Cat is finally ready to transport fans to “Agora Hills.” The Grammy-winning cross-genre artist unveiled Scarlet, her fourth studio album, on Friday (Sept. 22).

After signaling her new era with a shaved head and a rebuke of her earlier music, Doja launched Scarlet in June with the release of “Attention,” a boom-bap-indebted hip-hop track that prioritized showcasing the dexterity of her rapping ability. The track debuted and peaked at No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100, and its music video — which previewed the era’s overarching horror aesthetic — picked up six nominations at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, ultimately winning best art direction.

“Paint the Town Red,” the record’s first radio single, soon followed with a catchy hook and a bouncy Dionne Warwick-sampling beat. The song became Doja’s second Hot 100 No. 1 — her first unaccompanied — becoming the first hip-hop song to reach the top of the ranking in 2023. A punk-rap promotional single titled “Demons” arrived on Sept. 1, complete with a music video starring Emmy-nominated Yellowjackets star Christina Ricci. A Ric Flair-nodding promotional single called “Balut” was released on Sept. 15. In the final weeks leading up to the album, blood-covered life-size mannequins made in Doja’s likeness appeared in major cities across the United States.

Scarlet boasts a completely featureless tracklist and eye-popping titles such as “Wet Vagina,” “Skull and Bones” and “F—k the Girls (FTG).” The standard edition houses 15 tracks, while two extra songs can be found on digital versions of the album: “Shutcho” and “WYM Freestyle.”

To support the new record, Doja will embark on The Scarlet Tour. The 24-date trek will kick off on Halloween at San Francisco’s Chase Center, and hit major cities across the U.S. before wrapping Dec. 13 at Chicago’s United Center. Ice Spice and “What It Is (Block Boy)” rapper Doechii will serve as opening acts for the tour.

Doja Cat’s new album is the follow-up to 2021’s Planet Her. That album, her third studio effort, peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and spawned a litany of Hot 100 hits, including the SZA-assisted “Kiss Me More” (No. 3), “Woman” (No. 7), “Need to Know” (No. 8), “You Right” (No. 11, with The Weeknd), and “Get Into It (Yuh)” (No. 20).

Stream Scarlet now:

21 Sep 2023

Lil Wayne, Offset, The Rock & More Stars at Deion Sanders’ Colorado Football Games

It’s prime time in Colorado as the university’s new head football coach, Deion Sanders, has led the squad to a 3-0 start and is drawing A-list talent to their games.

At Saturday’s in-state rivalry match-up between Colorado and Colorado State, Sanders — also known as Coach Prime — welcomed Lil Wayne, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Offset, Master P and Key Glock on the sidelines, and retired NFL star Rob Gronkowski hosted a pre-game party outside the stadium. Weezy kicked off the double-overtime win with a pre-game performance of “Uproar” on the field, wearing a custom Buffaloes jersey with “Tunechi” on the back.

In a new interview with Billboard, Wayne described the electricity at Saturday’s game. “That man got Colorado turnt right now,” he said. “Them people, they believe. For me, it was just an honor. For the most part, I still can’t believe what he’s doing. It’s unbelievable. Plain and simple. The way he has those people believing, just for him to even invite me and to … include me, I just try to make sure I do my part to the fullest, just like those boys do out there for him.”

Sanders told Billboard of the five-time Grammy-winning rapper: “I love Wayne to life like a friend and a son. I understand his gift and his heart. I see one of the best human beings I’ve ever known well beyond the stage and the handclaps of life.”

As an NFL player, Sanders has two Super Bowl rings from 14 seasons in the league. He was also in the MLB, playing in the 1992 World Series with the Atlanta Braves — making him the only athlete to play in both the Super Bowl and the World Series. He left his previous coaching job at Jackson State with a 27-6 record before venturing to Colorado to turn around last year’s 1-11 team.

Below, find all the celebrities flocking to Boulder, Colorado, to watch Coach Prime’s team in action.

21 Sep 2023

Travis Kelce Says He Invited Taylor Swift to One of His Football Games: ‘We’ll See What Happens’

Travis Kelce wants Taylor Swift on the bleachers at his next game.

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end joined The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday (Sept. 21), where he revealed that he invited the “Anti-Hero” superstar to watch him play. “I threw the ball in her court,” he said. “I told her, ‘I’ve seen you rock the stage in Arrowhead, you might have to come see me rock the stage in Arrowhead.’ We’ll see what happens in the near future.”

He also expressed his surprise at how much publicity their potential relationship has gotten. “It’s hilarious how much traction this has actually got,” the 33-year-old said. “I think it’s, right now, it’s like that old game in school called ‘Telephone,’ where everybody is just whispering in each other’s ear, just hearing some random stuff.”

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During a recent interview with NFL+ host Andrew Siciliano, Travis previously addressed the rumors. He confirmed his story about trying to shoot his shot at Swift via an Eras Tour friendship bracelet, but that’s as far as he’d reveal. “I said what I said. And I meant what I said when I said it. And you know what, it is what it is,” he said before shutting down further conversation about the pair’s relationship status. “I’m not gonna talk about my personal life.”

The tight end then teased listeners, saying, “I know what you writers wanna hear, and you wanna hear more about that and I’m not gonna give you anything!” When Siciliano asked if Swift had reached out to him, Kelce responded, “And that’s gonna wrap it up here,” thus ending the interview.

21 Sep 2023

Country Artist Adam Mac Removes Himself From Kentucky’s Tobacco Festival After Questions of ‘Promoting Homosexuality’

Queer country artist Adam Mac took to TikTok on Thursday (Sept. 21) to reveal that he removed himself from his upcoming headlining slot at Kentucky’s Tobacco Festival due to questions surrounding his sexuality.

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“The last 24 hours have been a bit of a whirlwind,” he began his video. “As some of you may know, the Chamber or Commerce for Russellville, Kentucky, where I’m from, announced earlier this week that I would be headlining the annual Tobacco Festival.”

Mac explained that he received a phone call from someone on the festival’s board who told him that “there were some board members and some people in town who had some questions about what kind of performance I would be putting on at the Tobacco Festival. She wanted to ensure that I would not be promoting homosexuality or sexuality in a family friendly environment.”

He continued, “I don’t really know what they expected I was going to do other than come and put on a hell of a show like we do. It was made aware to me that there were people in the town that were very upset that they would have a gay person headline the festival. To know that there are people who are angry that they asked me to come and perform in a town that I was raised in for 21 years of my life. Sure, they have the right to not listen to my music. They have the right to not come to my show. But what’s happening now is they are protesting, they’re showing up at the chamber, they made comments online and to the chamber that they will be holding protests at the show, which is just so disheartening.”

Mac, who is sporting a Maren Morris “lunatic country music person” t-shirt in the clip, revealed that he debated whether or not to perform at the festival, before ultimately deciding to “cancel” his performance. “I’m really sad about it,” he said. “I really, really wanted to be there.”

See his full TikTok below.

21 Sep 2023

Peso Pluma, Jasiel Nuñez & Junior H Debut in the Top 10 on Hot Latin Songs With ‘Bipolar’

Peso Pluma, Jasiel Nuñez and Junior H combine forces with “Bipolar,” as the song debuts at No. 7 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart dated Sept. 23. While Pluma has previously teamed up with both Mexican artists, “Bipolar” is the first three-way effort by the corridos singers.

“Bipolar” launches at No. 7 on Hot Latin Songs fueled by streaming and radio activity. According to Luminate, the song registered 7.9 million official U.S. streams during the Sept. 8-14 tracking week, to yield a No. 4 start on Latin Streaming Songs; it’s a first top 10 for Nuñez there. The song also surges 45-31 on the overall Latin Airplay with a 25% gain in audience impressions, to 3.6 million. Sales, meanwhile, account for a negligible amount but enough to open at No. 5 on Latin Digital Song Sales. Hot Latin Songs blends airplay, streaming data, and digital sales.

Nuñez, a newly signed artist to Peso Pluma’s Double P Records label, scores his first top 10 on the multi-metric Hot Latin Songs. He’s Pluma’s frequent collaborator, landing two other entries on his Billboard chart career which began in 2023. The co-billed “Rosa Pastel” reached a No. 20 high in July, while “Lagunas” peaked at No. 13 on the Aug. 19-dated ranking.

Junior H, meanwhile, picks up his fifth top 10, four of which are Pluma partnerships. His own “El Azul” earned the 23-year-old his first entry to the upper region in May.

As for Pluma, he logs his 15th top 10 hit, including two champs. He last reached the top 10 through Karol G’s four-week ruler “Qlona” (Sept. 2-dated list).

Pluma, Nuñez and Junior H’s collaboration becomes the fourth top 10 debut by three or more artists overall in 2023. Notably, all but one belongs to Pluma, and all are regional Mexican songs. Here’s the list of top 10 tripartite entries this year:

Peak Position, Title, Artists, Peak Date
No. 10, “VVS,” Peso Pluma, Edgardo Nunez & Los Dareyes de La Sierra, July 8,
No. 8, “Que Onda,” Calle 24 x Chino Pacas x Fuerza Regida, Sept. 16
No. 3, “Lady Gaga,” Peso Pluma, Gabito Ballesteros & Junior H, Sept. 23
No. 7, “Bipolar,” Peso Pluma, Jasiel Nuñez and Junior H, Sept. 23

Beyond its top 10 debut on Hot Latin Songs, “Bipolar” rises to a new No. 13 peak on Regional Mexican Airplay. Plus, it debuts at No. 60 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, at No. 86 on Billboard Global 200 and at No. 175 on Global Excl. U.S. charts.

21 Sep 2023

Shakira Reveals How Her Kids Coped With ‘the Media Situation’ Around Her Split

Breakups are always hard — especially when media and children are involved. Shakira opened up about how her split from professional footballer Gerard Piqué has affected the former couple’s two sons, nine-year-old Milan and seven-year-old Sasha.

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“They’re doing very well,” she told Billboard in her recent cover story. “They love it. In Barcelona, they carried the weight of being ‘the children of…,’ and the media situation was hard on them. We had paparazzi at our doorstep every single day. Here, they’re normal children who enjoy normalcy, which is what school should be: a safe haven where they can be themselves. And because they’re sociable and pretty open, it was easy for them to adapt.”

The former pair announced their split in June 2022 through a joint statement. “We regret to confirm that we are separating. For the well-being of our children, who are our highest priority, we ask that you respect our privacy,” the statement read. Shakira and Piqué were together for 11 years.

Over the past year, many rumors around the end of the pair’s relationship have made the rounds — from cheating allegations to a jar of strawberry jam. Shakira has since turned the pain into music, taking hard-hitting aim at Piqué on her Bizarrap collab “BZRP Music Sessions #53,” which rocketed to No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart and ultimately broke 14 Guinness World Records. “The last time I released an album was six years ago,” she tells Billboard. “Now I can release music at a faster clip, although sometimes I think being a single mom and the rhythm of a pop star aren’t compatible. I have to put my kids to bed, go to the recording studio; everything is uphill. When you don’t have a husband who can stay home with the kids, it’s constant juggling because I like to be a present mom and I need to be there every moment with my children: take them to school, have breakfast with them, take them to play dates. And aside from that, I have to make money.”

21 Sep 2023

Diplo Recalls Livestreaming Joe Jonas & Sophie Turner’s Wedding, Wishes Them ‘All the Love’ Amid Divorce

On Wednesday night’s Watch What Happens Live, Diplo was asked by a pair of fans about Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner’s divorce and whether he’s spoken to Joe since the news broke.

“I haven’t,” Diplo replied, before host Andy Cohen interjected and brought up how the EDM star “famously” livestreamed Jonas and Turner’s wedding on Instagram.

“Livestreaming had just started happening,” Diplo explained. “I was like, ‘This is the perfect opportunity to livestream something!’ I didn’t know it was a secret … so it was on the news.” The Grammy-winning DJ’s quips drew laughs from both the audience and his fellow interviewee, British singer Rita Ora.

The “Where Are Ü Now” producer went on to clarify that Jonas and Turner had a second wedding — the couple legally married in Las Vegas in May 2019, one month before having a full ceremony with friends and family at Chateau de Tourreau in France — and that he DJed the second wedding for “pretty cheap, maybe for free” to make up for his livestreaming gaffe.

Ultimately, Diplo said, “I wish them all the love,” particularly because they have children: 3-year-old daughter Willa and a 1-year-old daughter born last summer whose name hasn’t been reported.

On Sept. 5, Jonas filed a petition for dissolution of marriage, saying “the marriage between the parties is irretrievably broken.” The day after Jonas filed the petition, the couple released a joint statement on their social media accounts confirming their split. On Thursday (Sept. 21), Turner filed a lawsuit against Jonas demanding the “immediate return of children wrongfully removed or wrongfully retained” to England, where the couple had previously agreed to relocate.

The Jonas Brothers have notched seven top 10 albums on the Billboard 200, including three No. 1s. The Grammy-nominated sibling band has also earned three top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, including the 2019 No. 1 hit “Sucker.” Joe Jonas’ band DNCE has charted a pair of projects on the Billboard 200. Their self-titled debut studio album peaked at No. 17 and spawned the Hot 100 top 10 hit “Cake by the Ocean.” As a soloist, Jonas reached No. 15 on the Billboard 200 with his debut album and No. 9 on the Hot 100 with the Camp Rock soundtrack single “This Is Me” (with Demi Lovato).

As a soloist, Diplo has earned one top 10 hit on the Hot 100: his Grammy-winning “Where Are Ü Now” collaboration with Skrillex and Justin Bieber. The renowned DJ has also charted seven titles on the Billboard 200, peaking with 2015’s Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü (No. 26). Diplo has collected a plethora of Billboard chart achievements as a part of Major Lazer, LSD and Silk City.

Watch Diplo recount his memories of Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner’s first wedding above.

21 Sep 2023

Halsey Spotted With ‘Victorious’ Actor Avan Jogia & Fans Say They’re ‘Looking Like a ’90s It Couple’

The Internet was set ablaze this week when photos went public of Halsey kissing Victorious actor Avan Jogia on a night out.

Dating rumors started up after the pair was spotted over the weekend packing on PDA at the Cara Hotel in Los Angeles, where they were watching a live performance, according to Page Six. While looking onward at the show, Halsey wrapped her arm around Jogia’s torso. In other pictures, the 28-year-old singer/songwriter is seen laughing at something Jogia said, and the two even share a kiss.

Earlier in the weekend, the three-time Grammy nominee was spotted shopping at a flea market with their alleged beau, and back in June, the pair was seen spending time together in Barcelona.

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While Halsey has not commented on their relationship status, fans are buzzing about the new duo. One X user wrote, “Halsey & Avan Jogia look hot together! Looking like a 90s IT couple.” Another fan wrote, “Halsey and Avan Jogia are my new fixation (I love hot people).” And in the comments section of PopCrave’s post about the pair dating, one user hilariously shared that “bisexuals won.” Meanwhile, another added the news has sent them into a spiral: “all the bisexuals losing their minds about Halsey and Avan Jogia (it’s me, i’m bisexuals and i am indeed panicking).”

Halsey’s relationship with Jogia comes five months after she ended her relationship relationship with Alev Aydin, with whom she shares 2-year-old son Ender Ridley.

See the reactions to the Halsey and Jogia photos in the tweets below.

21 Sep 2023

Nicki Minaj Responds After Husband Put Under House Arrest for Threatening Offset

Nicki Minaj’s husband Kenneth Petty was ordered to serve 120 days of home detention on Wednesday (Sept. 20) after he violated his probation terms by posting what seemed to be a social media threat directed toward Offset.

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Petty was put under house arrest after he “was recorded on video making threatening remarks to a specific individual while in the company of someone with a criminal record,” according to a Central District of California court order shared by The Hollywood Reporter. The court order also reported mentioned Offset specifically, and referred to a series of Sept. 16 posts from Petty aimed at the Migos rapper.

In the clip, Petty and a group of friends were outside a New York City hotel where Offset was allegedly staying. “Plan that vacation, you gonna be planning your funeral p—-,” Petty says in the video among other threats.

Minaj herself seemed to respond to the drama on her Instagram Stories on Thursday (Sept. 21), writing, “Can’t call the cops every time you flop. Just saying,” along with a string of laughing emojis.

In July 2022, Petty was sentenced  in Los Angeles to probation and home detention for failing to register as a sex offender. He was also ordered to pay a $55,000 fine as part of his sentence, which includes three years’ probation and a year in home detention, CBS News reports, based on filing from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The New York State department labels Petty as a level-two sex offender, which deems him of having a moderate risk of a repeat offense, after he was convicted of attempted rape in the first degree in 1994, more than two decades before he married Minaj.

21 Sep 2023

V Gets Up Close & Personal With Musicians for Cozy ‘Love Me Again’ Band Session: Watch

BTS fans have praised V‘s debut solo album Layover for being a cozy listen top to bottom. The BTS vocalist heard fans’ comments and put them into practice for the latest live performance of album single “Love Me Again” — released Thursday — in which he gets up close and personal with a full backing band and backup singers for a band session of the track.

The clips sees V surrounded by a guitar and bass player, drummer, saxophonist and keyboardist for the the track. V, as well as two singers, relax and perform the track from a cozy sofa and love seats located in a small, wood-paneled room featuring posters of Prince, Fugazi, Joan Baez, Oasis and more on its cherry-colored walls.

“Fine, I will be honest with you/ Put it all out there/ I think about you all the time/ Where you are, who you’re with/ Lost without you, baby/ I wish you would love me again/ No, I don’t want nobody else/ I wish you could love me again, again,” he languidly sings in the video.

By the end of the track, V gives all the performers a thumbs-up for a job well done and jokingly collapses into his seat.

Layover was released Sept. 8; the set debuts at No. 2 on the Sept. 23-dated Billboard 200 after Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS. The third single from the project, “Slow Dancing,” also makes its debut on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 51 on this week’s chart.

Watch V and his band perform “Love Me Again” for the band session in the video above.